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The Atheist Protests Too Much

Have you ever noticed how so many atheists claim that there is abundant and massive evidence for the existence of God?

No, probably not.

Instead, you have likely heard atheists—especially New Atheist-types on the internet—repeat over and over and over again how “There is NO evidence for God.” Hell, half the time, they seem to be shouting it!

Now, to be fair to certain atheists, I know that not all of them do this. But, if we are being honest, the fact remains that many atheists do make this claim, and they make it repeatedly, almost chanting it like a mantra whenever confronted by a theist.

This saying is meant to convey the idea that when a person endlessly protests against something in an exaggerated, compulsive and inflexible manner, or repeatedly makes a claim about something being the case in a completely over-the-top way, then that fact can make you think that they are protesting so vociferously not because they actually believe what they are saying, but rather because they don’t believe it. What they truly believe is, in fact, the opposite of what they are saying. And that is why they are protesting too much.

Well, extend this idea to the atheist. Sometimes, the atheist’s endless and exaggerated protestations about there being absolutely, completely, totally, undoubtably, assuredly, and unquestionably no evidence for the existence of God makes you start to think that the atheist actually sees evidence for the existence of God, but he is just trying to drown out that evidence through his sheer insistence that there is NO such evidence!

Note as well that this idea—namely, that the atheist does know that there is evidence for God but is trying to suppress that evidence by insisting that there is none—is broadly in-line with the idea expressed in Romans 1:18-21, where it is claimed that unbelievers know that God exists and that they suppress this truth for various reasons. So, the fact that this might be the case should be neither surprising to us as Christians, nor is it necessarily opposed to our worldview.

Furthermore, psychology may support the idea that this ‘protest too much’ saying is legitimate. In psychology, this saying is a sort of short-hand for a defensive mechanism called ‘Reaction Formation’. In many ways, the person engaged in this defensive mechanism transforms feelings that are uncomfortable and painful to him into a view that is more acceptable and which he can control more. Essentially, the person conceals their own true opinion by accepting the very opposite position of their actual opinion.

So, the next time an atheist repeatedly insists that there is no evidence for God, just say: “You protest too much, my friend. You protest too much.”

Alright everyone, that’s it. Until next time, Godspeed.

Non Nobis Christus, Non Nobis, Sed Nomini Tuo Da Gloriam

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